Motivational Interviewing for Addiction

Rehabilitation programs utilize many different substance abuse therapies. One technique for patient-centered therapy is motivational interviewing. This article will explain what MI is and how it can change the therapist-patient relationship in addiction therapy.

What is Motivational Interviewing?

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a therapeutic counseling technique in which the counselor works together with the patient to identify problems and facilitate ways to solve those problems, without being confrontational or imposing ideas on the patient. MI therapy is based on three concepts:¹

Collaboration: During motivational interviewing, the therapist and the patient work together to solve problems. This collaborative process helps build rapport and trust within the partnership.
Creating Ideas: In this process, the therapist recognizes that the patient can find within themselves the skills and resources needed to change. The therapist works with the patient to draw out these skills and to help the patient recognize what they are capable of doing.
Autonomy: MI therapy recognizes that patients have their perspectives and opinions, as well as the right to make informed decisions about their treatment. The therapist who respects autonomy is non-judgmental and expresses empathy for the patient.

Motivational Interviewing for Substance Abuse

Empathy – MI is patient-centered, so the therapist communicates to the person that they can relate to how they feel and how they want to be treated during sessions.
Understanding – Therapists understand that people recovering from addiction want to be a partner in their treatment, rather than just a “client.”
Support – This therapy provides an extra level of support to people recovering from substance abuse as they make decisions about sober living and their path forward after substance use disorder therapy.
Improved Relationships – Because motivational interviewing therapy is a patient-centered partnership, the process enhances the relationship between the person recovering from substance abuse and the therapist.
Intentional Decision Making – Motivational interviewing questions help a person to voice their thoughts and opinions about their recovery process in an intentional manner.

What to Expect in a Motivational Interviewing Session

MI therapy session is different from a traditional therapy session because the therapist does not tell the patient what to do. Instead, the therapist helps the patient figure out what to do themselves. They use these motivational interviewing techniques to accomplish this goal:³

Reflective listening – The therapist listens to the patient speak, then restates what the patient said to confirm that they heard and understood. This technique allows the therapist to express empathy and respect for the patient.
Developing discrepancy - The therapist asks open-ended questions that help the patient realize what the differences are between their current situation and their plans for the future. They then assist the patient to understand how they need to change their position to match their views.
Avoiding argument - During MI, the therapist will not argue with the patient, but will instead “roll with” any resistance that the patient expresses. The therapist will then redirect the conversation toward another, more positive topic.
Promoting self-efficacy - The therapist who uses MI techniques helps the patient recognize their strengths and encourages the patient to see that they have the ability to change.

Effectiveness of mI Therapy

Research has found that MI can be effective in treating addiction for people who need to begin the process of changing.⁴ A 2011 study found that motivational interviewing had a significant effect on substance use disorder compared to no treatment, with the strongest effect noted immediately post-treatment.⁵

Another study, conducted in 2016, found that MI was more effective in reducing the rate of hazardous drinking and cannabis use in adults.⁶ Hazardous drinking in the military was the subject of a 2010 study, which found that individual motivational interviewing was the most effective in reducing hazardous drinking in military personnel.⁷

However, motivational interviewing does have some drawbacks:⁸

MI therapy is a relationship-building process between the therapist and the patient, so it takes time.
People who undergo motivational therapy must have a certain level of mental ability and motivation to change. It does not work well with people who have mental illnesses in addition to addiction.
MI patient must also be engaged in the process. MI therapy is an ongoing dialog, so the patient must be willing to participate for the therapy to be effective.
The therapist must have the ability to follow up with patients for the effects of motivational interviewing to last past treatment.

Motivational Interviewing and Other Therapy Methods

Since motivational interviewing is a therapeutic tool that can incorporate into an overall treatment program, it works well when combined with other therapies.

It is not meant to replace behavioral interventions such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or traditional counseling but can be an alternate method of communication along with other treatments. Motivational interviewing can help a substance abuse treatment program become more patient-centered and more effective for people trying to end addiction.

Resources

www.motivationalinterviewing.org/understanding-motivational-interviewing
www.socialworktoday.com/archive/111715p22.shtml
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64964/
www.theraplatform.com/blog/339/motivational-interviewing-for-substance-abuse
www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21563163/
www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26985728/
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA524152.pdf
www.positivepsychology.com/motivational-interviewing-effectiveness/

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Motivational Interviewing for Addiction

Rehabilitation programs utilize many different substance abuse therapies. One technique for patient-centered therapy is motivational interviewing. This article will explain what MI is and how it can change the therapist-patient relationship in addiction therapy.

Article Contents

What is Motivational Interviewing?

Motivational Interviewing for Substance Abuse

What to Expect in a Motivational Interviewing Session

Effectiveness of mI Therapy

Motivational Interviewing and Other Therapy Methods

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